February 24, 2009
OUA PLAYOFF PUSH: MEN'S HOCKEY
HAMILTON, Ont. - Three of four opening round playoff series in Ontario University Athletics (OUA) men's hockey went a full three games. What else is in store for OUA hockey fans is anybody's guess.
The conference quarter-finals are about to commence, with the No. 3 nationally-ranked Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks, No. 5 UQTR Patriotes, Toronto Varsity Blues and York Lions officially beginning their Queen's Cup chase after well-deserved byes in the opening round. Their opponents are battle tested, however, with the No. 6 Western Mustangs, No. 10 Lakehead Thunderwolves, McGill Redmen and Carleton Ravens all looking to carry their momentum towards a berth in the semi-finals.
The Thunderwolves (20-8-1-1) will return to Waterloo, Ont., but not before hosting the Golden Hawks on Wednesday in Game 1 of their best-of-three series. Lakehead was the only team in the opening round to earn a sweep, defeating the No. 9 Waterloo Warriors 5-4 in double overtime in Thunder Bay, Ont., and 6-2 on the road. The Thunderwolves look to knock off another Top 10 team in their quest for an OUA banner.
Third-year left winger Brock McPherson (Brampton, Ont.) and fifth-year centre Andrew Brown (Bancroft, Ont.) led the Thunderwolves offence in the opening round, earning five points each. McPherson netted three goals, while Brown contributed two. Fifth-year goaltender Chris Whitley (Oshawa, Ont.) has an unblemished record between the pipes, picking up both victories over the Warriors.
Whitely will have to contend with a tremendous offence in the form of the Golden Hawks (22-5-1-0). Four of the top eight scorers in OUA during the regular season are Laurier players, including sophomore right wing Jean-Michel Rizk (Dunham, Que.), who was the conference leader with 25 goals and 54 points. Senior left wing Mark Voakes (St. Thomas, Ont.) was third in scoring with 13 goals and 50 points. Fifth-year centre Nick Vergeer (West Lorne, Ont.) and fourth-year left wing Luke Girard (Mississauga, Ont.) ended the regular season with 41 and 36 points, respectively. Laurier defeated Lakehead three out of four games during the 2008-09 regular season.
Another team which possesses a great offence are the Patriotes (21-4-3-0), who battle the Ravens in the quarter-final round. UQTR fourth-year right wing Jonathan Boutin (La Pocatiere, Que.) finished behind Rizk in the scoring race, netting 21 goals and helping out on 31 others for 52 points on the season. Second-year centre Alexandre Demers (Laurier-Station, Que.) was third in OUA scoring with 17 goals and 26 helpers.
Second-year right wing Andrew Self (Peterborough, Ont.) netted three goals in Carleton's opening round series victory against the Concordia Stingers, one of four players to have three post-season goals thus far. The Ravens (14-12-3-1) will have their hands full, having lost three out of four games to the Patriotes during the regular season, including a 10-1 defeat on Feb. 7 in Trois-Rivières, Que.
Another player who has three goals and five points so far in the playoffs is Mustangs rookie left wing Aaron Snow (Windsor, Ont.), including two goals in Game 3 against the Guelph Gryphons. Western fourth-year goaltender Brad Topping (Strathroy, Ont.) currently has the top save percentage in the OUA playoffs at .938.
The Mustangs (21-7-3-0) will face the York Lions (14-11-0-3), who are led by third-year forward Jesse Grespan (Toronto, Ont.). The right wing had a team-high 16 goals and 31 points during regular season play. These teams split their two meetings in 2008-09.
In the fourth quarter-final, the Toronto-Montreal hockey rivalry will be renewed between the Redmen and Varsity Blues. Freshman centre Alexandre Picard-Hooper (Boucherville, Que.) scored three goals and added a helper in McGill's three-game series victory over the Ottawa Gee-Gees. Picard-Hooper had 10 goals in 28 regular season games. Rookie goaltender Kevin Desfosses (Beauport, Que.) is leading OUA playoff goalies with a goals against average of 1.68.
The Varsity Blues (14-11-1-2) are led by a pair of rookies in right wing Kyle Ventura (Scarborough, Ont.), who led Toronto with 16 goals during the regular season, and left wing Byron Elliott (Burlington, Ont.), who earned 35 points. The Redmen (20-9-1-1) and Varsity Blues split their two games this past regular season.
OUA MEN'S HOCKEY PLAYOFFS
Wed., Feb. 25
7 p.m. – Carleton @ UQTR (Game 1)
7 p.m. – Toronto @ McGill (Game 1)
7:30 p.m. – Laurier @ Lakehead (Game 1)
Thurs., Feb. 26
7 p.m. – Western @ York (Game 1)
Fri., Feb. 27
7 p.m. – UQTR @ Carleton (Game 2)
Sat., Feb. 28
7:30 p.m. – McGill @ Toronto (Game 2)
7:30 p.m. – York @ Western (Game 2)
7:30 p.m. – Lakehead @ Laurier (Game 2)
Sun., March 1
2 p.m. – Western @ York (Game 3, if necessary)
7:30 p.m. – McGill @ Toronto (Game 3, if necessary)
7:30 p.m. – Lakehead @ Laurier (Game 3, if necessary)
TBA – Carleton @ UQTR (Game 3, if necessary)
– OUA –
ABOUT ONTARIO UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS
Ontario University Athletics (OUA) and its 19 member institutions are developing Champions For Life. Giving 9,000 student-athletes the opportunity to excel academically and on the playing field, while preparing for life after university. For more information, visit OUA.ca.
The conference quarter-finals are about to commence, with the No. 3 nationally-ranked Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks, No. 5 UQTR Patriotes, Toronto Varsity Blues and York Lions officially beginning their Queen's Cup chase after well-deserved byes in the opening round. Their opponents are battle tested, however, with the No. 6 Western Mustangs, No. 10 Lakehead Thunderwolves, McGill Redmen and Carleton Ravens all looking to carry their momentum towards a berth in the semi-finals.
The Thunderwolves (20-8-1-1) will return to Waterloo, Ont., but not before hosting the Golden Hawks on Wednesday in Game 1 of their best-of-three series. Lakehead was the only team in the opening round to earn a sweep, defeating the No. 9 Waterloo Warriors 5-4 in double overtime in Thunder Bay, Ont., and 6-2 on the road. The Thunderwolves look to knock off another Top 10 team in their quest for an OUA banner.
Third-year left winger Brock McPherson (Brampton, Ont.) and fifth-year centre Andrew Brown (Bancroft, Ont.) led the Thunderwolves offence in the opening round, earning five points each. McPherson netted three goals, while Brown contributed two. Fifth-year goaltender Chris Whitley (Oshawa, Ont.) has an unblemished record between the pipes, picking up both victories over the Warriors.
Whitely will have to contend with a tremendous offence in the form of the Golden Hawks (22-5-1-0). Four of the top eight scorers in OUA during the regular season are Laurier players, including sophomore right wing Jean-Michel Rizk (Dunham, Que.), who was the conference leader with 25 goals and 54 points. Senior left wing Mark Voakes (St. Thomas, Ont.) was third in scoring with 13 goals and 50 points. Fifth-year centre Nick Vergeer (West Lorne, Ont.) and fourth-year left wing Luke Girard (Mississauga, Ont.) ended the regular season with 41 and 36 points, respectively. Laurier defeated Lakehead three out of four games during the 2008-09 regular season.
Another team which possesses a great offence are the Patriotes (21-4-3-0), who battle the Ravens in the quarter-final round. UQTR fourth-year right wing Jonathan Boutin (La Pocatiere, Que.) finished behind Rizk in the scoring race, netting 21 goals and helping out on 31 others for 52 points on the season. Second-year centre Alexandre Demers (Laurier-Station, Que.) was third in OUA scoring with 17 goals and 26 helpers.
Second-year right wing Andrew Self (Peterborough, Ont.) netted three goals in Carleton's opening round series victory against the Concordia Stingers, one of four players to have three post-season goals thus far. The Ravens (14-12-3-1) will have their hands full, having lost three out of four games to the Patriotes during the regular season, including a 10-1 defeat on Feb. 7 in Trois-Rivières, Que.
Another player who has three goals and five points so far in the playoffs is Mustangs rookie left wing Aaron Snow (Windsor, Ont.), including two goals in Game 3 against the Guelph Gryphons. Western fourth-year goaltender Brad Topping (Strathroy, Ont.) currently has the top save percentage in the OUA playoffs at .938.
The Mustangs (21-7-3-0) will face the York Lions (14-11-0-3), who are led by third-year forward Jesse Grespan (Toronto, Ont.). The right wing had a team-high 16 goals and 31 points during regular season play. These teams split their two meetings in 2008-09.
In the fourth quarter-final, the Toronto-Montreal hockey rivalry will be renewed between the Redmen and Varsity Blues. Freshman centre Alexandre Picard-Hooper (Boucherville, Que.) scored three goals and added a helper in McGill's three-game series victory over the Ottawa Gee-Gees. Picard-Hooper had 10 goals in 28 regular season games. Rookie goaltender Kevin Desfosses (Beauport, Que.) is leading OUA playoff goalies with a goals against average of 1.68.
The Varsity Blues (14-11-1-2) are led by a pair of rookies in right wing Kyle Ventura (Scarborough, Ont.), who led Toronto with 16 goals during the regular season, and left wing Byron Elliott (Burlington, Ont.), who earned 35 points. The Redmen (20-9-1-1) and Varsity Blues split their two games this past regular season.
OUA MEN'S HOCKEY PLAYOFFS
Wed., Feb. 25
7 p.m. – Carleton @ UQTR (Game 1)
7 p.m. – Toronto @ McGill (Game 1)
7:30 p.m. – Laurier @ Lakehead (Game 1)
Thurs., Feb. 26
7 p.m. – Western @ York (Game 1)
Fri., Feb. 27
7 p.m. – UQTR @ Carleton (Game 2)
Sat., Feb. 28
7:30 p.m. – McGill @ Toronto (Game 2)
7:30 p.m. – York @ Western (Game 2)
7:30 p.m. – Lakehead @ Laurier (Game 2)
Sun., March 1
2 p.m. – Western @ York (Game 3, if necessary)
7:30 p.m. – McGill @ Toronto (Game 3, if necessary)
7:30 p.m. – Lakehead @ Laurier (Game 3, if necessary)
TBA – Carleton @ UQTR (Game 3, if necessary)
– OUA –
ABOUT ONTARIO UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS
Ontario University Athletics (OUA) and its 19 member institutions are developing Champions For Life. Giving 9,000 student-athletes the opportunity to excel academically and on the playing field, while preparing for life after university. For more information, visit OUA.ca.
